Illinois 250 on Community Voices

Illinois Humanities and NPR Illinois 91.9 UIS invite you to...

Listen to "Illinois 250 on Community Voices," a special six-part radio series exploring Illinois' connections to the 250th anniversary of the United States that aired in July 2026.

• "Tell Your Story:" featuring Gabrielle H. Lyon, Executive Director of Illinois Humanities & Chair of the Illinois 250 Commission and Jitesh Jaggi, Storyteller & Illinois Humanities Road Scholar
   
• "How Illinois Became a Crossroads of American Music:" featuring Dennis Stroughmatt and Chris Vallillo, Musicians, Folklorists, & Illinois Humanities Road Scholars
    
• "Roads that Built a Nation:" featuring Public Historians & Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Jeanne Schultz Angel, Executive Director of the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association & formerly of the Illinois Association of Museums and Erika Holst of the Illinois State Museum
    
• "Illinois Black Histories:" featuring Connie Martin, Illinois Humanities Road Scholar & Retired Educator and Leila Wills, Executive Director of the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party
     
• "Native American History and the Declaration:" featuring Kimberly Sigafus, Author & Illinois Humanities Road Scholar
    
• "The Declaration still has work for us to do to secure our rights:" featuring Julie Emig of the McLean County Museum of History and Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Mike Matejka of the Illinois Labor History Society